Z Fighters
The Z Fighters (Z戦士, zetto senshi, also known as the Z Warriors or Earth's Special Forces) are a small group of super warriors on Earth. Their duty is to defend Earth from major threats and to protect the seven mystical Dragon Balls from the hands of evil. The Z fighters are not organized in any way, because it is simply a group of super fighters who all share the same interest of protecting their home. The evolution of the Z Team The first actual formation of the Z Team was out of necessity when Goku was faced with Raditz, who had kidnapped his son Gohan and wanted to destroy the Earth. Goku formed an alliance with his arch rival Piccolo in order to fight for a common cause. The alliance made from necessity was the birth of the Z team. The term itself is very rarely actually used in the series, the first, and one of the only occurrences being in the androids saga, when Trunks explains to Goku the order in which "The Z fighters" die, where it becomes something of a plot hole or inconsistency, as the term seemed to have come out of nowhere. The characters involved wouldn't really consider themselves a 'team'. The group works as a team and help each other, but it is limited to the aspect of helping one another simply because of friendship. The term most commonly used when the characters refer to themselves is the Earth's Special Forces in the FUNimation dub, or just simply "Senshi" (Warriors/Fighters) in the original Japanese. The Z Fighters were also in Dragon Ball, although they were called the Turtle Hermit School as they consisted of the students of Master Roshi, although Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yajirobe eventually "join" even though they never become Turtle Hermit School students. They all consist of humans at this point (Goku is thought to be a "human" in Dragon Ball). The term is first used to describe the main characters during the Androids Saga, though it is generally meant by fans to indicate the rough teams from the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. It wasn't really until the Android saga that the team of the Z Fighters came full circle. Goku returns from outer space one year after defeating Frieza, while Trunks comes from the future to warn everyone about the Red Ribbon Androids that have caused mayhem in his time. (See: Android Saga) Once Vegeta decides to train against the Androids, and Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha came back to life, it is around this time that the series refers to the fighters as the Z-Senshi. Trunks also returns to complete the group. With Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Vegeta the group fully forms and it is shown through the opening sequence at this time in the series. (The final image is of the aforementioned fighters and Goku as he transforms into a Super Saiyan.) It is also worth noting that while this version the the Z Fighters is a prominent one during the series history, it is the only period of time in which the team consists of these certain members. The Android/Cell Saga was a turning point in the series for a number of reasons, one of them being that the roster of fighters was changed after the Cell Games. By the end of the Cell Games, Goku is dead and Gohan has become Earth's primary defender. Trunks returns to his timeline more powerful than ever, thanks to his training in the Room of Spirit and Time with Vegeta, and proceeds to finally destroy the evil versions of Androids #17 and #18 in his world, as well as his timeline's Cell awhile later. Meanwhile, Tien bids farewell to the Z Fighters and plans to live in seclusion with his friend Chiaotzu, having used all his strength to help fight the Androids and protect the Earth. Yamcha retires from fighting and never trains again. Krillin continues to live with Master Roshi, and after an uncertain amount of time eventually hooks up with #18 and gets married. Piccolo decides to live with Mr. Popo and Dende on Kami Tower, partly because there is no more reason to train, partly because his pupil Gohan has finally surpassed him, and partly because part of him is still Kami and wishes to continue to reside over the Earth. Vegeta continues to train, hoping to become a Super Saiyan 2 like Gohan, but declares that he will never fight again with his only rival, Goku, dead. Finally, Gohan keeps his promise to his mother Chi Chi and gives up fighting to study and become a scholar. By the beginning of the Buu Saga seven years later, the Z Fighters consists of many "next-gen" type of characters. Gohan is eighteen and is the primary hero of Earth, both as a Super Saiyan and his alter ego "Great Saiyaman". The Z-Team isn't really continued, per se, based on the fact that their opponent Majin Buu was so super powerful, it mainly called upon one single person to fight him. However, considering the fighters in this time period, it can be said that the "New Z Fighters" consists of the following: Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Krillin, Videl, and Android 18. Also worth noting is that unlike the Android Saga, the Buu Saga is when Vegeta voluntarily became a "good guy". He fought for his family, and to save the Earth. He also came up with the idea of using a Super Spirit Bomb that defeated Buu at the very end. Finally, for Dragon Ball GT, the main fighters tend to be Goku, Trunks and Gohan's daughter, Pan, for the most part. Uub does fight in the first major arc, the Baby Saga. However, the "Z Fighters" (Or "GT Fighters") do come together in the Super 17 saga. While Goku's trapped in Hell, Android 17 kills Krillin. This forces the hand of the last major, briefly retired fighters from the end of Dragon Ball Z. The following are the fighters who fought against 17: Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Gohan, and Uub. The actual members of the "team" consists of two at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z and grows to about ten by the end. Even though it is for most of the series, reduced to the Earth's welfare, the members are a mixing pot of humans and alien races such as the super warrior beings called Saiyans. Saiyans are the primary fighters on the team due to their extreme power and war-like tendencies, whereas the humans (such as Videl and Bulma) serve the team in an imperial or intellectual role (persuading the people and creating gadgets and spaceships for the Z-fighters), and the nameks (Piccolo and Dende) use their mystical powers when necessary. Dragon Ball Z Members: Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yajirobe, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Master Roshi, Future Trunks, Goten, Trunks, Pan, Android 18 (after the Cell saga) Dragon Ball GT Members: Goku, Pan, Trunks, Gohan, Goten, Vegeta, Piccolo, Uub Death of the Z Fighters In Future Trunks' alternate timeline, Goku died of a deadly heart virus six months before the arrival of the androids. He could not be wished back, since the Dragon cannot revive anyone who died of natural causes. When the androids did arrive, they proceeded to slaughter Piccolo, Vegeta, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Yajirobe in a horrible battle. Gohan somehow managed to survive, only to be killed thirteen years later. The only surviving fighter was Trunks, who traveled back in time in an attempt, not to change history, (as the manipulation of the past would only cause that timeline to take a different path, creating an alternate, separate future), but to see if Goku could help him find a weakness in the Androids; that way, although he could do nothing for those already dead (with Piccolo gone, so were the Dragon Balls), he could still save those who were still alive. After the defeat of Cell, Trunks returned to his own time and was successful in killing both of the androids and Imperfect Cell, thus finally ending the nightmare. After the Shadow Dragon Saga, only Pan (because she was only a child during the Shadow Dragon Saga) and Goku (because Elder Kai had given him a 1000-year-long life) had survived. The other Z Fighters have died, because of old age, while two new warriors, Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. (the great-great grandsons of their respective Z-fighters) were still around. It is presumed that they would take on the duty of defending earth, should a new threat ever arise. Team members Primary members *Goku - The main character who is the founder of the Z Team and its strongest member for a majority of the series. Goku is a Saiyan. *Gohan - The eldest son of Goku. He is the first Saiyan/Human hybrid. *Goten - The second and last son of Goku, whose appearance closely resembles his father's. He is a Saiyan/Human hybrid. *Future Gohan - The bleak future version of Gohan who is the sole survivor of the original Z Team. He is a Saiyan/Human hybrid. *Vegeta - The Saiyan Prince. He is consistently one of the strongest. Often, his power rivals that of Goku. *Trunks - Vegeta's only son. He is a Saiyan/Human hybrid. *Future Trunks - The time-traveling version of Trunks from a devastated future. He is a Saiyan/Human hybrid. *Piccolo - A Namekian. Once Goku's arch rival, he becomes one of his greatest allies. He founded the team with Goku. *Krillin - A human, he is Goku's best friend and former schoolmate. He retired in GT *Yamcha - A human, once a fearsome desert bandit. Chronologically, he is Goku's first ally. Also retired in GT *Tien - A human with a third eye who has hit a peak of enlightenment. He is a former assassin and Goku's former rival. He was once a pupil of Roshi's rival. *Chiaotzu - A human who excels in psychic abilities. He is Tien's best friend and former schoolmate. *Yajirobe - A lazy human samurai who never really wants to help Goku and the rest of the Z Fighters unless their is food involved. Though, he does help the Z Warriors by delivering senzu beans from Korin.) *Uub - A human reincarnation of the enemy Kid Buu, he becomes Goku's pupil at the end of the Dragon Ball Z series. Fused members *Gotenks - A warrior made by Goten and Trunks through a special technique called The Fusion Dance. *Vegito - A warrior made by Goku and Vegeta when they use two magical earrings called Potara. *Gogeta - A warrior made by Goku and Vegeta through a special technique called The Fusion Dance. *Tiencha - A warrior made by Tien Shinhan and Yamcha fusing with the Fusion Dance. *Majuub - A warrior made by Uub and Majin Buu fusing permanently to fight Baby. *Gokule - A warrior made by Goku and Mr. Satan when they use the Potara Earings Other members *Android 18 - Once an android built only for evil, she marries Krillin and changes her ways. *Fat Buu- Once an evil magical being, Buu changes his ways and helps Goku and Vegeta fight his evil counterpart, Kid Buu. *Nail - A powerful Namekian warrior who serves the Great Elder, he helps the Z-Fighters by delaying Frieza and fusing with Piccolo. *Android 16 - An android who was originally created to destroy Goku. After his first battle with Cell, he turns to the side of good and offers to fight alongside the Z-Fighters at the Cell Games. *Master Roshi - A turtle hermit, he was the strongest human in his time, and was Goku's first official mentor. His fights are limited to movies and some episodes of Dragon Ball. *Kami - A Namekian, but The Guardian of Earth and creator of the Dragon Balls, his fights are limited to movies and the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai under the guise of Hero. *Pikkon - A deceased warrior of an unknown species from the West Quadrant, he helps Goku and Vegeta by holding off Janemba and helps Goku in the Great Saiyaman saga to stop the villains in Hell. *Pan - The granddaughter of Goku and the latest member of the Z Fighters. She helps defeat all the villains who escape from Hell in Dragon Ball GT and gather the Black Star Dragon Balls. One hundred years later she likely finds the new generation of Z fighters (Goku Jr., Vegeta Jr.). Some fans do not consider her to be a Z Fighter. *Nuova Shenron - One of the seven Shadow Dragons that appears in Dragon Ball GT, and is the dragon of the Four-Star Dragon Ball. He teams up with Goku and Vegeta in an attempt to defeat Omega Shenron, by surrounding himself and Omega Shenron in a Nova Sphere. Supporters *Bulma - The human wife of Vegeta and Goku's long time friend, she is a brilliant scientist and is also the daughter of the richest couple in the world. *Chi-Chi - The human wife of Goku and mother of Gohan and Goten. *Dr. Brief and Mrs. Brief - Parents of Bulma, and owners of Capsule Corporation. *Ox-King - Chi-Chi's father, who lives on top of Fire Mountain. *Android 17 - traitorous android who malfunctioned. Was regarded a failure by Gero. He tries to help Piccolo, 16, and 18 fight against Cell before being absorbed. He maintains a solitary life but eventually helps Goku later so he can summon energy for the Spirit Bomb against Buu. *Korin - An 800 year old cat that lives below Kami's Lookout at the top of Korin Tower. He supplies the Z Fighters with Senzu beans whenever he is able to. *King Kai - The king of the northern quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy, he teaches Goku techniques such as the Kaioken and Spirit Bomb. *Kibito - Supreme Kai's personal bodyguard. He can heal people and materialize new clothes for them, and eventually fuses with Supreme Kai, creating Kibito Kai. *Supreme Kai - An even higher division than Kaio, he is the supreme ruler of the universe. He eventually fuses with his bodyguard Kibito, creating Kibito Kai. *Kibito Kai - The result of the fusion of Supreme Kai and his bodyguard Kibito. He can use an enhanced version of the Instant Transmission ability called Instantaneous Movement. *Elder Kai - An ancient ancestor of the Kaioshin who was trapped inside the Z Sword for eons by a powerful enemy. He performs a ritual that awakens Gohan's full power. *Fortuneteller Baba - The human sister of Master Roshi and a median between Other World and Earth. *Dende - A Namekian with healing powers, he becomes Kami's replacement as Earth's Guardian. *Mr. Popo - An immortal genie who is Kami's assistant, and also the caretaker and gardener of Kami's Lookout. *Bora - A Native American man who resides in a tepee at the base of Korin Tower. *Upa - A young boy who lives with his father Bora in the area around Korin's Tower. *Launch - The girl with dissociative identity disorder who was Master Roshi's housemaid. *Oolong - Goku's shapeshifting pig friend. *Puar - A shapeshifting cat who is Yamcha's best friend. *Turtle - The Turtle Hermit's tortoise friend. *Bee - Mr. Satan's and Majin Buu's pet dog. *Giru - A small Machine Mutant that appears in Dragon Ball GT. He accompanies Goku, Pan and Trunks on their quest to locate the Black Star Dragon Balls after consuming the Dragon Radar for energy, and the radar integrates into his software. *Bulla - Vegeta and Bulma's daughter and second child. (would be a primary member if she trained) *Marron - Krillin and Android 18's daughter. (would be a member if she trained) *World Martial Arts Tournament announcer - The man who hosts every World Martial Arts Tournament, he becomes an acquaintance with the Z Fighters over the years. *Mr. Satan - The champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament and Videl's father. He is made a member after helping complete the Spirit Bomb by telling all the people to give their energy to Goku in order to defeat Kid Buu. *Videl - The human wife of Gohan and daughter of Mr. Satan/Hercule. Z Fighters